The Active Heroes In Hot Spots00

The Active Heroes In Hot Springs

By Aditi patil (M.Sc.)I 28/02/2009 Fig.no. 1: Geothermal hot spring in Yellowstone national park Dept. of microbiology H.P.T. Arts, & R.Y.K.

How these hot springs are formed ? • Geothermal heat • Increase in temperature of rocks • Geothermal gradient

Fig. no. 2: Tacharian hot spring

• Contact of water with hot rocks • Sources of heat for hot springs in non-volcanic areas Fig.no. 3: Mammoth hot spring

Hot Spring Biocommunities • The unique environment as host to a web of life • Consumption of toxic chemicals by microbes Fig. no. 4: Olympic hot spring

• Consumption of microbial mats by animal species • Tolerance to certain levels of heat and toxicity • The communities form concentric rings around hydrothermal vents

Fig.no. 5: Chile hot spring

• Vent and non-vent species.

Extreme Life In Hot Springs • In the 1960’s, biologists were interested in studying “how extreme” life could be ? • Microbes from hot springs in Yellowstone National Park • Temperatures of ~85°C (185 °F) – near the boiling point of the water • The question: How far close to the hottest water could microbes survive ?

What’s the Big Deal about life at high temperatures? • Experience says that putting living creatures in boiling hot water kills them • How?

Fig no.7 : Effect of heat on protein (albumin)

How can an organism living in hot springs survive ? • Animals of hot climates have relatively little subcutaneous fat. • Relaxation of the erector-pilli muscles so that there is no space between the hair ; air cannot be trapped against the skin • Dilation of superficial blood vessels so as to lose heat to atmosphere. • Low metabolic rate

Thermophile • Organisms which require a very hot environment • Examples : Bacillus acidocaldarius, Thermus aquaticus , Thermus ruber, Bacillus stearothermophillus, Cyanobacterioum,etc.

Fig.no.8:Microbial mat of Thermus aquaticus

• Survival & fitness optimum at ~85°C (185 °F) Fig. no. 9 : Microbial mat of Cyanobacteriain the hot springs at New Zealand

Tubeworms • Most common and distinctive animals found at hydrothermal vents Fig.no.10: Old and young tubeworms

• Attach to the seafloor • No mouth or anus. • Symbiotic microbes living inside

Fig.no.11: shorter younger tubeworms

• Live in colonies • Hundreds to many thousands of individuals • Many other smaller vent species

Fig.no.12: Dead tubeworms

• Formation of mounds From colonies

Other Thermotolerant Species • Clams • Limpets and snails • Annelid worms

Fig.no.13: snails

Fig.no.14: Clams

• Some fishes like striped bass fingerlets, Garra rufa

Fig.no.15:Limpets

Fig.no.16: crab

Fig.no.17: Annelids

• Species of crabs and arthropods

• Bentosoctopus, rare species

Applications of organisms in hot springs •

Thermophilic microorganisms in Food Wastes Processing.

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Bacillus acidocaldarius, Thermus aquaticus , Thermus ruber, Bacillus stearothermophillus, etc.

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Enzymes from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus of deep sea vents are used by forensic scientists in DNA testing.

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Taq polymerase enzyme used in PCR derived from Thermus aquaticus (thermophile)

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Medicinal value of hot springs

Fig.no.18: Waste from food industry

Fig.no.19: Fish therapy with Garra rufa fish

• Improvement in rheumatoid arthritis patients after exercise in a hot spring bath • A newly discovered species of bacteria living in hot springs could help fight global warming, according to a study published in Nature. • Methanotrophic bacterium discovered, which reduces methane gas emissions from landfills, mines, industrial wastes, geothermal power plants and other sources • Recovery of copper, nickel, etc. by bioleaching with thermophile : Thiobacillus caldus, Sulphobacillus thermosulfidooxidants, Sulphobacillus acidocalderia • Applications for Geobacillus isolates, firstly in the metabolism of the herbicide glyphosate and secondly in the metabolism of quorum-sensing signal molecules from Gram-negative bacteria.

References : • http://www.jsbi.org/journal/IBSB05/IBSB05F019.pdf • http://www.pnas.org/content/102/7.cover-expansion • http://jehanara.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/when-fishtherapy-does-not-mean-having-fish-as-a-regular-part-ofyour-diet/ • http://www.spavelous.com/SpaBlog/2008/10/17/garrarufa-spa-fish-therapy/ • http://sciencelinks.jp/jeast/article/200014/000020001400A0297119.php • http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1206-bacteria.html • http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~strauss/life/yamasato.pa per

Reference : • G. McMullan1, J.M. Christie, T.J. Rahman, I.M. Banat, N.G. Ternan and R. Marchant (2004),Habitat, applications and genomics of the aerobic,thermophilic genus Geobacillus, In Biochemical Society Transactions ,32, part 2 : 214- 217